Chapter 74: When my eyes cleared, I saw I was not the only one who had fallen off her mount. All around the battlefield, people had fallen and their weapons had slipped from their hands. The only person who still was in his chariot with his weapons was Hades. And only Thanatos was still standing. But then I heard a noise behind me. I couldn’t seem to get up, but as I tried to turn my head around, I saw two people standing side by side. There was a muscular young man in a white toga with blond wavy hair, with a lyre as well as a bow and quiver of arrows. Next to him was a beautiful young woman in a silver short dress with a moon circlet, a bow and arrow on her shoulder and two hounds at her feet. Neither of them looked happy. Then the young woman spoke. “How good does it feel for you all to destroy each other?” She swept her hand over the field of destruction. “How good does it feel to kill a generation of young people?” I had never seen such beauty and such anger in the same person before. Her chilling and commanding voice seemed to freeze everyone. “And yet you still claim our blessing,” she continued. Agatha spoke. “My lady, surely you cannot condone the mixing between two people who have stayed-” The young woman turned to her suddenly, her face twisted in anger and disgust. "Do not speak to me, mortal," she said. "You are not worthy of my hearing." Agatha recoiled as if she had been slapped. Whoever this young woman was, she was powerful enough to scare Agatha. But the lady continued. “You stand before me, a villain, a tyrant, a monster. You have caused so much pain and suffering, and now you think you can just waltz in here and speak to me like my equal? I will not let you.” “I am Artemis, the goddess of the moon, and I will stop you. You are nothing compared to me. You are weak, you are pathetic, and you are no match for me. I am the goddess of the hunt, and I will hunt you down. I will bring you to justice. You cannot escape me. And there is nothing you can do to stop me. I will treat you like any other miserable creature who dares to go against my wishes.” She flicked her hand to her hounds and they leapt at Agatha. Agatha tried to burn them, but the young man narrowed his eyes and her flames extinguished. The hounds tore her to pieces, before returning to Artemis’s feet as if they had just gone for a stroll. Artemis nodded to Hades, and he, with wrath in his face, gestured to Thanatos, who yanked her soul with his sword. My mom, who had betrayed me, thrown me away, and tried to kill me, had finally died. Died like a piece of prey. And the young woman who was speaking was my namesake. The Artemis. And the young man was my brother’s namesake. The Apollo. Author's Note: ..... *Hears barking and faints. *-Jenna
Chapter 75: Once she finished scolding Agatha, I saw Artemis turn, her gaze shifting toward me. I began to flinch, expecting to be criticized for my failures as my mother had been. Yet within a split moment, a slight smile flashed upon her face, and respect glimmered in her silver eyes. I was confused; what could Artemis find to respect in an inexperienced froster like me? My victory felt much too due to luck rather than pure talent to deserve even an ounce of respect from such a mighty figure. The insecurity grew within me with the raging strength of a forest fire, relief suddenly flooded the parched area of my heart once Artemis finally spoke. “Artemis, I’d like to speak to you now,” she began. “What I observed today brought me indescribable pride that a soul like yours could honor my name. You were given every opportunity to use vengeance to achieve justice; if you had done so, you could not be blamed considering the betrayal of your mother. Yet even so, you chose the elevated path, to focus on unity of those with your common goal rather than striking down your enemies ruthlessly. Such an attitude is rare in most; and in youth, it is more probable to find a needle in a haystack.” Hearing her words, I fought to maintain my calm composure. I struggled to receive simple compliments with humility from strangers. Having the Artemis speaking my praise in the presence of both my friends and enemies alike? It was a dream I was never aware of wanting. “After today, I find myself making a single request. I ask that society honors the example this Artemis has set and seeks the unity that she stood for today. I understand that you may feel divided amongst one another, but in reality, you are more connected than you may realize. You all strive for success, wish to live for a purpose, and hope for a future that protects those you hold dear. Whether you achieve these longings of your hearts with ice or fire, they are still united. And so, I believe this is the way our peoples should be. Therefore, I ultimately thank you, Artemis, for revealing that our success comes when we work alongside one another, regardless of differences we may share.” There was shocked silence. Then the youth of both sides stepped forward and began to applaud. Soon, the entire battlefield filled with applause. Applause. For me. It was unbelievable to a girl who spent most of her life hiding in the shadows. Author's Note: Why can't I be thereeee? -Jenna
